The Kingdom of War
by silentanner90
Summary: Prologue, Part 2: An in depth look at Azula's mind reveals that she is much more sinister than she seemed, if that's possible. Also, Aang faces off against Azula in the Final Showdown! Can he win? I want many Reviews! No flames please, first Avatar fanfic
1. Zuko's Destiny

**The Kingdom of War, Prologue Part 1: Zuko's Destiny**

_The prologue takes place at the end of Season 3. A short recap of what happens in my Season 3 follows. The Gaang, with help from Hakoda, successfully infiltrates Ozai's Castle and tries to convince Zuko__to join them, which he does after breaking Iroh out of prison. The group flees the Fire Nation and Iroh gives Aang a crash course in Firebending. They return to the Fire Nation and Zuko challenges Ozai to an Agni Kai to everyone's dismay. This first part of the prologue gives an in-depth look into Zuko's mind, telling the story of how he came to be so troubled and how he came to his final decision to join the Gaang. Zuko's past experiences, especially the ones I address here, will prove important later on._

Zuko stood facing his father, trembling inside, though he would never let his father see weakness. He looked over to his uncle, Iroh, hardened from his time in prison. Iroh had always seemed care-free, even with the death of his son, Lu Ten, which Zuko knew weighed heavily on his morale. But now, Iroh looked completely serious, his face without expression, as if his mouth was glued shut into a thin line. Zuko also knew he was at fault for this change. Iroh had allowed Zuko to escape from the Fire Nation's clutches so that he could help Aang and Katara fight Azula, and for what? Zuko instead joined Azula, the person who had locked him up in the first place. He did this to gain his father Ozai's respect; to gain his love. His father would never love him, even though he believed that Zuko had killed the Avatar. Ozai had still treated him like crap, not paying any attention to him, Prince Zuko, a Fire Nation hero, _the_ Fire Nation hero, the one who killed the Avatar. This was when Zuko realized that he already had the approval he needed: Iroh's. But he had put Iroh in jail, subjected him to horrors Zuko could never comprehend. So when Aang came calling, Zuko agreed to fight against his family, just as Iroh had been doing, however passively it was until the siege of Ba Sing Se. Zuko did not leave because he wanted to; he left because he was in debt to Iroh, and now he could finally repay it, by showing his true loyalty to the one he knew was his _real_ father. Biological ties be damned, Iroh loved Zuko like a son, and Zuko wanted to make Iroh proud by taking down the Fire Nation, even if it was technically Aang's destiny.

Destiny, Zuko thought, was as much tied to him as it was to Aang. Zuko saw the Avatar sitting next to Iroh. He looked to the Airbender, the one he despised all his life. Zuko thought he was destined to find the Avatar after his 100-year disappearance and kill him, but he now knew it was his destiny to help him defeat the Fire Nation. Destiny was a funny thing, Zuko thought. It had torn him apart so many times: when he first found Aang in the South Pole, when he actually saved Aang from the Fire Nation, when he helped Katara, Aang, and Toph fight Azula, and finally when he came to his crossroads, choosing to betray Iroh and rejoin the Fire Nation. Destiny had been his Kryptonite throughout his life, making him fickle, up until he joined Aang and the others, and realized his true calling. Zuko had defeated destiny, and he was going to defeat Ozai next.

"Such irony, don't you think, Zuko? The one who supposedly killed the Avatar is fighting on his side now. You are a disgrace, and I'll be happy to put another scar on you, but that's the least of your worries in an Agni Kai with me."

Mention of the scar made Zuko cringe. He had tried to block out his last Agni Kai with Ozai, but he remembered it clearly. Ozai had made a fool of his own son, scarring him for life. It was about more than redemption now, Zuko realized. He was looking for revenge too, and he would get it. He stood poised, ready for battle.

Katara turned to Aang. "I can't watch, Aang, Ozai is the Fire Lord." She buried her head in Aang's chest, sobbing at the thought that someone she had grown so close to might very well die now.

Aang was just as scared. He turned to Iroh, who was expressionless. Iroh had been much different since he was in prison.

Sokka was torn. He hated the Fire Nation, but he still hadn't forgiven Zuko for helping Azula in Ba Sing Se, so he wasn't cheering for Zuko either. Toph sensed this and elbowed Sokka in the ribs.

Ozai had waited long enough. He shot a huge fire blast at Zuko. Zuko blocked it with ease, but it was clearly a decoy, as Ozai proceeded to run up to Zuko and trip him before he could defend himself.

"Too easy," Ozai laughed, "and because this was so pathetic, I'll just pierce your throat with lightning to end your misery." Zuko couldn't move because Ozai was standing with one foot on top of him. Ozai charged the lightning blast, and Zuko could do nothing but brace himself for his impending death.

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He thought back to his early childhood, how easy it had been. His father did not _adore_ him, not even close, but he did not loathe him as he did now. It did not matter to Zuko that his father did not care for him; he had his mother, who he knew loved him. Of course, Azula gave him a hard time, but she could not do anything much to him seeing as she was too young to do much harm even if she was a Firebending prodigy. He hadn't a care in the world: the Fire Nation was winning the war, he was the Fire Lord's grandson, the people of the Fire Nation loved him. One thing always peeved Zuko when he was young though: the fact that he could never be Fire Lord. Iroh, not Ozai, was heir to throne, and so when Iroh stepped down or died, Zuko's cousin, Lu Ten, would become Fire Lord. Zuko couldn't become Fire Lord unless Iroh died before Azulon, and he didn't want that to happen.

Ozai was a different story. Zuko could tell that his father was ambitious to the point of obsession. He couldn't care less if his elder brother, who was currently infiltrating Ba Sing Se, died there; it would just mean he would be crowned Fire Lord when Azulon died. Therefore, Zuko discarded his ambition of being Fire Lord because he did not want his father to be one. Ozai would be a tyrant, just like Zuko's great-grandfather, Sozin, who had started the war, and although Zuko figured that Ozai as Fire Lord would easily end it, he'd rather have his more benevolent uncle take longer to end the war.

Then Lu Ten died and Iroh fell apart, pulling out of Ba Sing Se. Ozai took the chance and after Azulon's mysterious death and Ursa's disappearance, was crowned Fire Lord, fulfilling Zuko's worst nightmare. Zuko would've rather been killed when Azulon asked Ozai to do it, and Zuko wasn't surprised when Ozai was ready to comply. Zuko was in for rough treatment, and that's what he got.

After he was banished, Zuko's judgment became clouded. He constantly wanted to validate himself, which he equated to gaining Ozai's approval. To get this, he had to find the Avatar, missing for 97 years at the time. It took him almost three years, but he found Aang. This rekindled his dwindling desire to be reinstated as a Fire Nation citizen, and he kept on Aang's track.

When Zuko originally cut all ties from the Fire Nation on the 3rd anniversary of his banishment, he felt at peace, like the destiny he had been searching for for so long was finally found; he was destined to be no part of this war, to be a vigilante. Of course, he was not out of it for long: soon enough, he found himself locked in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se for fighting Azula and losing. Iroh and Aang saved him (and Katara), and he found himself grateful to the Avatar, wanting to fight on his side. In the end, he went right back to Azula's side, letting Iroh down for nothing worth craving, he later found out. In the end, Zuko had come so far only to take a leap backwards.

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Zuko opened his eyes. He thought that what he saw was the afterlife, but when his vision came into focus, he saw Aang, Katara, Toph, and Sokka, but not Iroh. Then he heard Ozai's voice.

"You can't interfere with an Agni Kai, you worthless bastard!" Ozai screamed, panting.

Zuko now knew why Iroh wasn't in the stands: he had entered the Agni Kai.

"Uncle?" Zuko asked cautiously.

Iroh jumped back to him. "I'm sorry if you're upset, Zuko, but I couldn't let you die. One dead son is enough for one lifetime." A tear passed down Iroh's cheek.

Zuko smiled. Iroh had called him his son.

"Never let your guard down, Iroh!" yelled Ozai as he ran forward.

Zuko ignited his fist and punched Ozai hard in the face. "Worry about yours, Ozai."

Ozai staggered backwards, hand on his face. "How dare you disrespect your father!"

"You expect me to call you father? You act as if I'm worthless. How can I respect you?"

"I _act_ as if you're worthless because it's true."

Zuko was enraged now. He attacked Ozai with unprecedented fury, and knocked him down, hard. Ozai could barely move.

"Now then, I bet you didn't know I could do this, did you?" He held out two fingers, as if to shoot lightning.

"Son, please, have mercy…"

"Have mercy? Look at my scar! Did you have mercy? Did you?!" A flash of light and Ozai was motionless. The Fire Lord was dead, and his son was finally at peace.

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**In the next chapter, the Day of Black Sun comes, and the Gaang searches out Azula, but they are stopped by the Dai Li. Can they win before the day ends?**

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	2. The Day of Black Sun

**The Kingdom of War, Prologue Part 2: The Day of Black Sun**

_The second (and final) part of the prologue takes the story through the end of the war. Word of Ozai's death has just reached the Fire Nation commander who is about to inform Azula that she is in control of the Fire Nation as Ozai named her as his heir, claiming to not have a worthy male choice. This chapter delves into Azula's mind as she earns her title of Fire Lady and battles the Avatar._

Commander Raho burst into Azula's room. Ty Lee had been trying to calm down Mai, since her "true love" Zuko had left her, and she was crying uncontrollably. Azula seemed bored, and almost gladly left the room to talk to Raho.

"Fire Lady Azula," he said, bowing.

"What do you mean?"

"You're the leader of the Fire Nation now. Your brother killed Fire Lord Ozai in an Agni Kai."

Azula tried to look upset, but couldn't. Her father was weak; if she was in his position, she would've killed Zuko during their first Agni Kai. She had always known her brother, just like her uncle, was not loyal and would return to the Avatar's side. When she thought about it, she was so much stronger than anyone else in her family, aside from her great-grandfather, Sozin. Her grandfather, Azulon, could not get far at all in the war; he was not aggressive. Her father, Ozai, couldn't kill Zuko when it was necessary; he would've backed out when it came time to make the sacrifice for Azulon. Her mother, Ursa, had run away because she couldn't bear seeing Zuko killed by her husband. Her brother, Zuko, was fickle; never sure of what was right. Finally, her uncle, Iroh, was the weakest of them all. Instead of using Lu Ten's death as motivation, Iroh let it destroy him, weakening him to the point of betrayal. He was an idiot, she decided. If he thought about Lu Ten's death for even a second in a clear state of mind, he'd know that Earthbenders had killed his son, and that he should be exacting his revenge as Fire Lord at this moment. Then again, Lu Ten's death turned out to be a huge benefit for Azula. Because it emotionally destroyed Iroh, Ozai was able to become Fire Lord by manipulating Azulon. At least her father was worth _something_, Azula chuckled. Now Azula was finally in charge, and the Avatar, Iroh, Zuko, and their friends would die.

Friends. Now _that_ was a concept Azula thought was for weaklings. Yeah, she called Ty Lee and Mai friends, but really, they were only around for Azula's dirty work: things she thought were below her, things she just didn't want to do. They must've known she cared nothing for them. Mai was an emo bitch who couldn't have even had a relationship with Zuko if it wasn't for the fact that he was so unstable at the time. How sad, when a girl can only get someone like her brother the scarface, and even then only when he's screwed up. Ty Lee, on the other hand, was much more tolerable, and if Azula actually wanted or needed friends, he wouldn't be a bad choice. Plus, her skills were more valuable than Mai's. It might be beneficial to just get Mai killed and out of her hair. Azula smiled and walked away from Commander Raho, telling him to have the Dai Li capture the Avatar and his friends.

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Zuko crumpled to the floor. "What have I done?" he asked, crying.

Iroh put a hand on his shoulder. "You fulfilled your destiny, Zuko."

"I killed my father. I'm worse off than before."

"You killed a tyrant. It was a good deed, no matter how badly you may feel because he was your father."

"I don't know, uncle. I thought this was right, but is it really? Should I be fighting the Avatar?"

"No. The Avatar is a peacekeeper, and you must fight for him if you want peace to be restored."

Aang interrupted them. "We can't really worry about this right now. The Dai Li just showed up. Time to fight."

Aang, Katara, Toph, and Sokka joined Zuko and Iroh on the ground. Sokka reminded Zuko and Iroh that The Day of Black Sun was only a few hours away and that they'd need to fight without Firebending at that time. They nodded, and the battle commenced.

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Azula smiled when the Avatar entered the throne room with his companions. The Dai Li and the Fire Nation Army, even without bending ability, had kept them busy throughout The Day of Black Sun, and Azula could now Firebend again. She sent Ty Lee, Mai, and Commander Raho to deal with the others, and she stood across from the Avatar. Finally, she could finish this stupid war; with the Avatar dead once and for all, the Southern Water Tribe did not stand a chance.

Azula knew Aang dared not enter the Avatar State after how she killed him in their last battle. She did not know, or care, how he was brought back to life, but she would end it again. That day was Azula's finest: she took Ba Sing Se and killed the Avatar. Today would rival that once she killed him again. Azula wanted control of the planet, and it was within her reach.

Aang bended a tile out of the floor and chucked it at Azula. She easily blocked it and smiled. "I have an idea," she said. "We should even the playing field. All I can do is Firebend, so I challenge you to an Agni Kai." Azula knew that Aang was foolish and would accept. She would just shoot lightning constantly and he would be helpless; she figured Iroh was too much of a coward to teach Aang how to shoot or even redirect it.

"I accept." Azula smirked. She loved being right.

Azula shot a bolt of lightning at Aang, which to her surprise, he dodged easily. "I said no Airbending."

"I know. You didn't say 'no agility', did you?"

Damn him, thought Azula, I guess I'll just use my superior Firebending skills. She ignited her fist, as Zuko had done, but did not hit Aang. She instead shot the blue fire like a dart and Aang was caught off guard and therefore hit, directly in the heart. He fell to the ground and Azula stood over him. "Time to die," she said calmly, shooting a fire blast.

Aang rolled away. If Azula had held Aang down somehow, he would've been a goner, but she allowed her ego to get the best of her. He sprung up and pointed two fingers at Azula.

"You're bluffing. My uncle never taught you that."

"Try me." Aang formed lightning at the tips of his fingers, to Azula's dismay, and shot it.

"I guess I was wrong, but that can't faze me." Azula nonchalantly redirected it at Aang, who repeated the gesture. They volleyed like this for a long while, until Aang pulled some out a bag full of water from his waist. Aang redirected the lightning towards Azula.

"You can't Waterbend."

"Who said I was doing that?"

Azula prepared to redirect the lightning again, but she didn't realize her mistake until it was too late. Aang threw the water on her, and the lightning clashed with it, electrocuting her with a huge flash and bang. As Azula fell, Aang heard her mutter "this is not over, it is far from it" but shrugged it off and walked outside.

He saw that Mai, Ty Lee, and Commander Raho were all dead; Katara saw Aang and started crying, then ran over and hugged him.

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Aang gathered the people of the Fire Nation and declared the war over, naming Iroh as the new Fire Lord. Iroh delivered a speech about how it was a time of rebuilding, and so the Fire Nation citizens would have to travel to the other Nations to help atone for their wrongdoings. The citizens cheered Iroh, who also quickly named Zuko his heir. The time of peace had finally come, and Aang would be glad to enjoy it.

Soon after, Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph set off to look for Airbenders, who may come out of hiding now that the war was over. Aang's duty as Avatar could wait for the time being.

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**Next chapter, the real story begins. Get ready to jump ahead ten years!**

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